Why carbohydrates are like crack. How a 10 day juice fast can cure you

At the beginning of March 2013, I dedicated quite a bit of time to sit and determine what my athletic goals were for the year. I like to do this on a periodic basis as detailed fitness goals keep me motivated and on track for overall health.

While I’ve had this practice of goal-setting for many years, this year I’ve decided to step things up and to focus as hard as I do in the gym, in the kitchen as well. Although, I’ve kept a decent diet practice over the years, I’ve never taken it very seriously as I would typically follow a healthy diet from Monday thru Thursday. Then a cheat day of Friday, would carry over into Saturday and most times Sunday also. This breaks down to cheating close to half the week.

My tipping point was when I noticed that my mentality of, “eat whatever you want as long as you burn it off”, just wasn’t working for me anymore. I started to notice that my body-fat was starting to get harder to tame. This puzzled me initially, because I consider myself a pretty active dude. A typical week may consist of 4 days of weight training with 4 days of cardio. So, some days I’d workout twice a day, for about an hour each, and I could no longer cancel out all of the pizza, beer, and french toast. My daily morning routine of a weigh-in on my Withings scale complete with BMI (body mass index) and percent body fat reading was telling me this story. I realized that a few of the multiple contributors to this difference in my body make-up are; increasing age/slowing metabolism, increased sedentary hours behind MacBook, higher calorie intake, high carb diet. I realized that I needed a new regime.

My new regime is the Paleo diet

If you’re not familiar with Paleo, in a nutshell it is considered a “caveman-like” diet. You mainly only eat organic fruits, vegetables, eggs and meats. This is basically a very low-carb diet, that the cavemen ate way back in the day. No grains at all. So no bread, pasta, cereal, pancakes. None of that. New studies are beginning to reveal that grains aren’t good for you at all, and many of us are gluten-intolerant. This is why you hear about “gluten-free” foods more and more now.

Prior to beginning this new Paleo diet…

I wanted to detoxify my body to start with a clean slate

This brings us to the 10 day fruit and vegetable juice fast. This was my 2nd attempt at a 10 day juice fast as the first time, I was doing it to prep for a bicycle ride across the United States and I dropped the fast after 5 days and gorged on half a box of Eggo waffles. It was great yet disappointing at the same time. I never quit things. My number-one mistake during my first juice fast attempt was that I was doing it on top of two-a-day workouts. My calorie deficit was crazy and I mentally broke-down half way in.

This second time around, I dropped the workouts completely. I wanted to focus on successfully completing this juice fast. And I wanted to pay close attention to how I was feeling without the cloud of post-workout exhaustion/hunger.

The fruit and Vegetable Juice Fast

I kept a daily diary to document the 10 days of juice fasting. And like I mentioned earlier, I weigh myself every morning, so I’m also including that information also so you can see the effect that 10 days of only fruit and vegetable juice effected my body.

Monday, February 19th: Juice Fast DAY 1

Weight (lbs): 203Percent Body Fat: 13.7BMI: 27

I woke up with the sad realization that this thing had begun. Sipping caffinated Green Tea had helped me out during the first attempt. At least until day #5, before I broke down. However, due to the fact that I was adding sugar or honey to that green tea, it wasn’t a true juice fast. So no half-assing this time. Just straight juice, water, and I found some uncaffinated Cinnamon tea to sip and I’m not adding anything to it.

This day was extremely hard. My only shot at making it to the end of 10 days is not working out. So I’m taking 10 days off from that. My previous attempt, I was working out twice a day while only drinking juice. I don’t know how I made it as far as day 5. But I will say, I never knew one could get shredded in such a short period of time. I definitely was. I wonder if that’s guys do before they hop on the cover of Men’s Health magazine and other covers.

I have not taken a dump all day. But I’ve been pissing so much it’s annoying. It’s to the extent where I’ve just been pissing outside to save toilet bowl water. Yeah, call me a cheap-skate. But I call it “going green”.

I’m starving!

Tuesday, February 20th: Juice Fast DAY 2

Weight (lbs): 196.7Percent Body Fat: 15BMI: 26.1

Woke up today without a hunger, which was refreshing. It was still depressing however to know that this was only day 2. There’s something about only drinking juice that is severely dissapointing. I couldn’t imagine what people have to go thru when they have broken jaws. But then again, they probably drink Ensure, smoothies, and protein shakes. Those are far more filling.

I try to maintain cognizance of my motions, being mindful not to expend any more calories than I have to. While I sit behind a computer for 12 hours daily among other regular daily activities, my personal stats measured previously (via BodyMedia device) tell me on average I burn about 3K calories per 24 hour period. And juice-wise we’re talking about a max of 300 calories per cup of juice. I knock back around 60oz per day max. I make nearly 2 completely full Breville 40 oz jugs. There are 8 oz per 1 cup, so that total is approx 7.5 cups daily consumed or 2,250 calories. Which is approximately a 750 calorie deficit per-day rate.

The loose calculation for weight loss is that a calorie deficit of 3,500 per week will lose you 1-2 pounds. The opposite is true regarding weight gain. I’m on an approximate 5,250 calorie deficit per week schedule which means I should be losing weight at a rate of about 3-4 pounds per week.

Wednesday, February 21st: Juice Fast DAY 3

Weight (lbs): 195.3Percent Body Fat: 15.4BMI: 25.9

Not much of a hunger this morning. Even more-so than yesterday. I actually didn’t drink any juice until after I was awake for about 2 hours. Just drank some water when I first woke and I was fine for a bit.

Today I discovered a new juice recipe that was straight crack. You ready? One whole pineapple with 4 apples and 6 strawberries. I could probably bottle this and slang it in the streets. $8 a cup.

No lie.

It’s that good.

It tastes like a melted popsicle, which is right up my alley with my sweet tooth. I know I shouldn’t be juicing so much sugary fruits, but I’m just trying to get thru this thing at this point.

I still feel light-headed like ALL of the time. My body is confused. It’s like I’m playing a bad joke on it. No food for days, only juice. I miss chewing.

But to end on a good note, I dropped a duece today. That’s not news to most, but it damn sure is to me granted that I haven’t done so since before I started this fast. I was starting to have bad visions of where the waste was going. So cheers to that.

Thursday, February 22nd: Juice Fast DAY 4

Weight (lbs): 192.7Percent Body Fat: 15.6BMI: 25.6

I think I may be over the hump now.

Morning hunger seems to be a thing of the past. I’m able to function now for at least 2 hours without drinking juice. However, the light-headedness is here-to-stay it seems. I’m also experiencing a sort of dizziness at times. I did some Googleing and these are proven side-effects of any type of detox. Not specific to only a juice detox, as I also happened to be researching about Paleo dieting and I saw the same symptoms reported in forums by those detoxing while transitioning from their bad diet to a paleo diet.

It was also mentioned that these side effects will subside after 3-5 days.

Friday, February 23rd: Juice Fast DAY 5

Weight (lbs): 191.8Percent Body Fat: 15.7BMI: 25.4

Although this is only day number 5 of 10, but I have a strong feeling that the hard part is over. Today is going well with no problems. Energy-wise I even felt fine riding my bicycle about 3 miles to pick my car up from the shop. And crazy as it sounds, this was on an empty stomach. This wasn’t by choice. I just ran out of produce. I did get a bunch more on the way back though.

I found myself steering most towards the fruits in the store today. Although this is only my second attempt at a multiple day juice-fast, I’ve been juicing consistently for about a year now. And throughout that time, I still haven’t found the solution to make some vegetables not taste like COMPOST when juiced.

The whole point in juicing, is to get good nutrients and to enjoy it right? Otherwise, nobody is going to stick with juicing over the long haul. Some of these juice cookbooks out are full of recipes that are straight garbage. Few of them actually taste good. Maybe I should create a recipe book with only the best tasting juice combos, that are completely original. I swear these other authors can’t be taste testing those recipes!

I’ll tell you right now, there are a handful of vegetables that I will never juice again. I don’t care how much fruit I mix it with, they tend to overpower the entire juice batch. Romain lettuce is one, Broccoli is another, asparagus is a maybe, but even it’s flavour is super pungent.

I’ve been “regular” since the Wednesday, in-case you are wondering. I guess as regular as I’m going to be, is a better way to put it. Without grossing you out ‘too’ much, I’ll just say that the quantity is hardly normal (on the low side).

Saturday, February 24th: Juice Fast DAY 6

Weight (lbs): 189.7Percent Body Fat: 15.2BMI: 25.1

Today I made a batch consisting only of carrot, orange, and grapefruit. Peeling the oranges was very difficult with this batch. I think this happens when the oranges aren’t completely ripe. So for half of the oranges I used, I ended up throwing them in the juicer with the peel on. I’ve done this before and didn’t like the outcome, but today I felt like I could do it because it was only half the batch. Welp, my juice batch ended up tasting just like you would imagine. Very strongly of orange peel.

Still drank it though.

Also, whipped up a batch of my crack juice. Pineapple, strawberry, kiwi. Too many sugars, I know. I know. But I had to do it.

I watched, “Super-Size Me” today. It must have been about the 3rd or 4th time I’ve ever seen that documentary. If you haven’t seen the documentary, it’s were a guy experiments with McDonalds by eating only McDonalds for 30 days straight for all of his meals. He gains 25 pounds, his cholestoral shot up, and he did some damage to his liver. And pretty much almost died.

Despite all of this, I never viewed McDonalds in such a delicious perspective. I don’t really even like McDonalds and I was craving some after this film. I was ready to lick the screen.

It seems that even though I’m over the 3 day hump, I constantly fantiszie about food. When I go out in public, I noticed that my nose is more sensitive to the smells of food. Everythings sounds delicious at all times. BBQ, fried chicken, pizza, steak, french fries, lasanga, bacon, pork chops. Everything…Everything bad.

I have to be careful not to binge on horrible foods on Friday when this is over. The whole point of this fast was to use it as the detox precursor to a Paleo only diet.

Sunday, February 25th: Juice Fast DAY 7

Weight (lbs): 189.8Percent Body Fat: 14.7BMI: 25.2

I tried juicing kale for the first time today. My local grocery store just now starting carrying it, so I picked some up. I juiced with with some grapefruit, celery, ginger and lemon. With most leafy greens, I tend to have the best luck canceling out their “Veggie” taste with some citrus. The lemon and ginger combo usually is a given to work. Not this time.

I don’t see what the big rave is about kale. I’m aware of the nutritional benefits, but this shit is just plain disgusting. The only batch that I made worse than this one where I used collard greens as the base. And another where I used WAY too much asperagus. But, I’m not going to give up too soon. I’ve bought some more kale and will give it another shot.

Monday, February 26th: Juice Fast DAY 8

Weight (lbs): 189.5Percent Body Fat: 15.2BMI: 25

I think my stomach is shrinking. I’m rarely hungry now. But I still have the urge to eat versus juice. I had a dream last night where I abstained from eating food that was in front of me because I was on a juice fast. How crazy is that? I can’t even cheat in my dreams. Ain’t that a bitch!

I dropped down to 189 lbs from 203 at the beginning of this fast. For me that’s nothing to brag about because it only involved calorie restriction through the juice I’ve been drinking. I’m certain that I’ve lost a bit of muscle also in that weight loss as my percent body fat seems to hover at 15% while my pounds decrease. Now if I had gained muscle and lost fat, while dropping 14 pounds then I’d be more geeked up about it. That would take the inclusion of weight-training. None the less, my six pack looks pretty good right now without the extra layer of fat over it.

Tuesday, February 27th: Juice Fast DAY 9

Weight (lbs): 189.3Percent Body Fat: 13.2BMI: 25.1

This juice fast shit is for the birds. I even fantasize about salads right now. Uhm…yeah…SALADS. Even a ceasar salad would be so right-on-time right now. I can’t wait to chew some food.

It’s almost like I feel like I’m being fed via an IV. Although I don’t have any personal experience with this, I imagine it feels like I’m how I’m feeling. As, I’m getting my proper nutrients, but my stomach never has the familiar sensation that I just ‘ate’ something. It doesn’t matter how much juice quantity I drink.

Wednesday, February 28th: Juice Fast DAY 10

Weight (lbs): 187.9Percent Body Fat: 13.4BMI: 24.9

The last supper. I’m so glad. I’m fantasizing about what to buy at the grocery store as my fridge is empty at this point. I should rephrase, it’s empty of suitable foods for my strict paleo transition. I even have AMP energy drinks still in there. It’s crazy because I don’t have any desire to drink one. I’m almost certain I would get sick if I did. And because of that, I don’t have any desire to eat any junk after all the hard work of the last 10 days of detox.

I gave Kale juice another shot today. And I’ve got the recipe. Kale, orange, lemon, lime, ginger. Basically, the recipe is to match the kale with more spice and citrus and then it won’t taste so much like a lawn mower bag. The juice still smells that way though, but I can live with that.

Overview:

To tell the truth, this juice fast was hands-down one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I don’t think there has ever been a time where I went 10 days without eating food. So that’s a first in my life.

Check the graph below of the 10 days of daily weigh-ins. This screen shot was taken from my account with Withings.com. Weight is the pink graph across the top, while percent-body-fat is the yellow graph across the bottom.

Unexpected side effects: The whites of my eyes became whiter and my skin looked better. This was crazy because I initially attributed the better skin to the fact that I switched to using witch hazel as an astringent. But I then realized that I’d switched to the witch hazel over two months ago. My skin started looking really, really clear just a few days ago, almost like it was airbrushed. It was totally the juice.

Conclusion

The first 3 days were filled with withdrawal pains. Prior to this fast, I had a weekend full of junk foods because I knew it would be a long time before I had them again. French Toast, Pizzas, etc…Mucho carbs. What I later learned about carbohydrates:

Foods rich in carbohydrates give you quick energy, but that energy wears off just as quickly as it came. Since grains break down into sugar, they create a rise in insulin levels when those levels fall you crave more grains and, thus, the vicious cycle continues.1

This completely explains why I had a strong crave for the same foods for the first 3 days. I was going thru a “carbohydrate withdrawal”. Now that I’ve learned the term for it, there’s tons of information about it available on the web that I’ve found and it all makes sense to me now.

My suggestion to you:

If you’re looking to kick-start your weight loss and/or fitness regimen with a juice fast, I applaud you. Here are a few tips:

Drink plenty of water in addition to your juices.

Find a good tea to drink that tastes good without adding any sugar. I used “Celestial Seasonings – Cinnamon Apple Spice“. I don’t know how, but the cinnamon-spice flavor of this stuff comes across sweet resulting in a taste-illusion of added sugar.

I wouldn’t suggest fasting with anything more than a moderately intense workout.

If juicing is new to you, you may want to experiment and discover which juice recipes you like before you start the fast.

Know that the headaches and dizziness in the beginning is considered ‘normal’. Don’t worry you’re not going to die 2

Overall, I am pleased with the detox of the 10 day juice fast. I have a new feeling inside my body. I just feel lighter. And I don’t mean lighter as in lost 15 pounds. But overall, just less bogged-down. I will likely plan to implement these 10 day juice fasts twice a year and perhaps a shorter 3 day fast every quarter.

Want more? Check out “Juicing With Justin” on YouTube

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Why I Do This

These days most of my hours are spent in solitude. Entrepreneurial demands consume the extreme majority of my time. However, every now and again, I feel the responsibility to pay-forward by sharing resources and experiences concerning health (Get Fit), entrepreneurship (Get Money), travel (Globe Trot), and philanthropy (Give Back) with a reader such as yourself.

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Don't Just Read and Leave. Share Your Thoughts.

Hey Justin! This is a great article. I borrowed a girls juicer from the gym and ended up returning it after the first day. I guess I didn’t give it enough time to get through the withdrawals. Because of you, I may give this another try. Puff puff pass.

Hi Justin, I just stumbled across your article while looking up juice fasting. I’m glad I did. I started my 1st day today, then broke it by eating cheese corn chips from trader joes. After reading the article, I decided to give it a go again tomorrow & stick with it. I’m going to do it !! I’m set up and ready to go. Besides, I want to eat to live !! Thank you !! Ashia

Hey Justin
Just want to let you know, that this was a great article. I laughed so hard, but got the gist of your fast. Also noticed you were totally into doing this, which most of us can’t go past a day without eating something. So I applaud your conviction.

I appreciate that Loretta. This definitely was far from easy. I’m actually surprised that I didn’t quit it the 2nd time around honestly. These fasts have taught me a lot about food. And now I know to NEVER judge someone who has a food addiction. As I felt like I almost had one myself.

Justin – Thanks for this latest installment. When I see your emails come through I purposely don’t read them right away because I know they’re going to be really good and interesting so I read them over lunch. LOL

Great chronicling of the juice fast! I did one myself a few years ago and included psyllium husk with my morning juice to get a “sweep” of my innards, so to speak. I think you’ve inspired me to try another one. Thanks!

Just finished reading your piece on the 10 day juice fast you did. I am currently on day 7 of what was a 5 day juice fast and have to say it is harder than I expected, but I’m sort of use to it now, to the point that I’m a little scared to go back to eating.

If you don’t mind me asking how did you handle ‘food’ the first few days after you finished?

I had no bad transition back to solid foods. My body didn’t react any different really. What I found strange/good was that I really didn’t have any desire to eat any junk foods directly following the juice fast. And even now months later, I still don’t have junk food cravings. As difficult as that fast was, I felt it would’ve been counterproductive to eat garbage foods following. And coincidentally, it’s about time for another juice-fast.

Hi Justin, I enjoyed your fasting diary. I am on day eight of a fast, and right now it doesn’t feel easy, but mostly it has. I am experienced at juice fasting, but every time I do it I always go back to all my old compulsive habits. This time, no popping right back to Wendy’s and Taco Bell. Clean eating all the way. Why I really wanted to comment, though, was the KALE!! After viewing Joe Cross’s “Fat Sick and Nearly Dead” film about juice fasting, I was convinced that kale was the way to go. I hated it. Here’s the crazy thing: I kept trying it and trying it, hating it, and hating it. And now — me, of all people — I like it. I don’t eat it without apples and lemon mixed in there (sometimes carrots) but it just doesn’t taste terrible to me anymore. The only exception to that is if it is not fresh. Once it gets a bit yellow — eeww — yuk! Like beer for some people, it really, truly is an acquired taste.

Very interesting Jennifer. I’m glad you stopped by to enlighten me. I hadn’t looked at any of these vegetable juices as an acquired taste. But it totally makes sense. I definitely hated beer the very first time. Now I crave it all the time although I gave it up because it’s just too fattening. I sip sake now. However, I personally have not quite acquired the taste for Kale yet. Got a looooong way to go.

Once you’re done with the fast, in addition to staying away from the fast food. Try this. When you get the craving, make your own fast food. Make your own french fries and your own burgers (with the leanest possible meats). This is what I do and I believe it makes a huge difference. Way less toxic and just plain tastes better.

Must say what an impressive Juice fast Diary. I absolutley loved it. I really liked the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15 chart. Very helpful for us “first-timers” for juicing that is. I have once juiced before back in July 2011. I did the Master Cleanse for 35 days straight. I ate nothing for 35 days! It is a detox that is made up of lemons, cayenne pepper, and maple grade B syrup oh and water. It didnt taste awful I just got tired of drinking it after about day 20. followed with the detox in order to create a bowel movement was to drink a awful drink that consist of sea salt and water. Yuuuuuk! and laxatives. I will never do that type of cleanse again, not just because its not beneficial or anything its just i been there done that. i cant wait to try the juicer. i am “blender shopping” right now and should be starting my journey soon. Thank you so much Justin for sharing your experience,
Crystal-Lynwood, ca

No problem Crystal, glad you found my experience helpful. I’ve heard of that master-cleanse recipe and it makes me gag just thinking about it. Congrats on making it 20 days with that.

I think you may enjoy fruit-veg juicing more. One; because it’s actually food and not some concoction of condiments. LOL. And two; you can really start to come up with some nice juice recipes and create habits that are sustainable for the long term.

just wanted to add that I did that Master Cleanse for 35 days. I meantioned by the time I was on day 20 I was fed up drinking the mixture. ugh!!!!! You literally made me laugh when you said that just thinking about it makes you gag. I still cant believe that I did it for 35 long days and was actually shooting for the complete 40. I had to stop at 35 days because I started to feel sick. i had shortness of breath and chest pains. It was all bad. Not trying to promote myself out there or anything but I made a journey about it on youtube lol. Anywho enough about that shyt its time to get my juice on! lol. Thank you for the quick response

How are you today? Sure I would love to share my Master Cleanse journey on YouTube. Go on YouTube and look me up as chanellie86. I have all my videos of my journey from day 1 thru 35. On my final video of day 35 I was feeling so sick even though you cant tell. It hurted every time I breathed. I was in bad shape. Thank you for being interested in my journey. I plan to make a juice journey like you did really soon. I will tell you all about it when I start. Ttyl

Juice fasts rock, but your framing is misleading and inaccurate. Fresh raw vegetable juice is pretty much 100% carbohydrates – which is GOOD. Carbohydrates are energy for your body. The only time they are bad is if you live an excessively sedentary lifestyle, in which case your body turns them into fat because it doesn’t know what else to do with such potent energy. Of course there are simple carbs and complex carbs, unprocessed/unrefined and processed/refined. The real crack, nutritionally speaking, are foods high in fat, protein, and sodium (e.g. most animal products), and foods high in simple carbs (e.g. sweets). Foods high in unrefined complex carbs, like green juice, are fantastic for your body.

It’s unfortunate if you feel mislead by my personal write-up of my juicing experience. I was merely telling my story in effort to help guide others who may be looking for new ways to improve their health and wellness.

My fast involved fruit and vegetable juice. And I disagree that sole vegetable juice is 100% carbohydrates. I would think that sole fruit juice would be a better example due to a higher average sugar content. However, I don’t believe there is any food that is 100% carbohydrate, maybe pure table sugar is as close as we get to that.

And yes there are indeed various classifications of carbs but depending on where you obtain them, they can be harmful even if you don’t lead a sedentary lifestyle. Carbs eventually break-down into sugar and too many carbs can lead to insulin-resistance from high blood sugar, aka type 2 diabetes. There are indeed plenty skinny/fit people out there that have type 2 diabetes which wasn’t acquired genetically. Most folks aren’t aware of this, just as I wasn’t until about 2 months ago.

I agree that sodium is a “real crack”, I personally battle with that everyday as I constantly watch how much salt I add to my foods. High fat foods as well, as most of us find the higher fat foods most flavorful. But protein? You lost me on that one. Protein is a must especially if you lead an athletic life.

Hey Justin….
Thanks for sharing this info. Really nice and encouraging article.
I am from India… we get almost all fruits that u hv mentioned only except few… So i am gonna start the same detox and weight loss from 2morrow onwards. Lets see … how much i can be..
Currently i am 74kgs and height is 5 feet 2inches and i would like to loose atleast 10 kgs in 20 days.

Hey Justin. I initially came across your blog because Im on day 9 of my juice fast and today has been the toughest day yet! I have to say what a brilliant writer you are. It takes a lot to make me laugh out loud at stuff but I thought your blog was hilarious and just what I needed to spur me on. I cant stand the green juices or much of the veg. In fact the only juice I have been getting is apple, orange and pineapple and then later on in the afternoon I add carrots to it. When I first started I bought a bag of spinach and kale and broccoli and tried adding them in little bits but it just tasted absoultely disgusting and no matter how much orange i added it still tasted vile. I even tried just adding a bit to my apple orange and pineapple but i dont know what it is about when it turns the lovely fruit cocktail colour to the colour of mud, it really puts me off (even if i close my eyes). So my juice fast is mainly a fruit juice fast and water. In 9 days Ive lost 9 pounds and I am happy with that as in the past it would problaby take me about 2 months to lose that. If you wanted to have a look at my youtube vlog here is the adress http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4xwbH4GdNw
I really hope you do another one and keep a blog. You really perked me up. I am trying to go for 30 days but just playing each day by ear. I also noticed for a few days you didnt lose any weight hardly, this would have problaby made me quit.
Anyway, enough rambling, take care. Karen

Hi Karen, thanks for the compliments. And I can totally relate about the green vegetables. It’s definitely not too easy make the proper mix so that they don’t taste so strong. One tip I have about the color is this: to avoid the “muddy” color juice 1/4 to 1/2 of a beet. With such a small amount, your juice won’t be overpowered by the flavor at all and beet juice is a very strong dye. Be sure not to wear anything white while juicing it. But it will definitely give your juice a nice Kool-Aid red hue.

I’m actually contemplating making a guide for juicing vegetables with fruits. All of the recipes that are currently in print seem to be full of lies when it comes to the actual taste. What’s the point of juicing if it’s disgusting right? My guide would be about how to include veggies and what to mix them with so the juices actually don’t taste like potting soil. So stay tuned for that.

Keep it going and don’t give up. By now you’re 1/3 done of your 30 day fast. Definitely add some tea sipping to your fast and that will help out a great bit. Let me know how everything goes.

I was laughing out loud reading this. Today is day 10 for me and my Juicing Diary sounds almost identical to yours!! The poop talk, the “can’t even cheat in my dreams”- that happened to me 3 times over the 10 day period. I also stopped doing Zumba–no way I had the energy for that. And on day 8 I was over the Juice Cleanse. I was ready to eat again. I powered through until today but it wasn’t easy. I am ready to chew on some fruits and veggies tomorrow!!!!

Way to resist the urge to quit early Stephanie. Watch how your eating habits will change once you transition back to solid foods. At least for me, there was no way I was in a rush to re-tox my body with bad foods. Only the freshest organic produce and lean meats

Hi justin. I think you should do a book. People keep telling me I shouldn’t each so much fruit juice for the sugar content. I got a bit worried and went to see my nurse to check my bloods. Normal range for blood glucose is between 4&7.8 mine was very low at 4.3. Her advice if it dropped to below 4 was to drink a sugary drink lol. Im gonna continue as I have been and take each day as it comes. X

I’m no doctor, but I’d look more into the low blood glucose level. Maybe go see a doc just to be reassured that it’s not an issue. It could be an indication of something else or nothing at all. A doctor would be able to read your blood glucose level in relation to your other biomarkers and tell you what’s up for sure. But that’s just my two cents, don’t let me worry you.

Hello Carole, that’s a great question. Because I actually did put those 15 lbs back on. However, I will say that I’ve been lifting weights and building muscle since the juice fast. But I do know all of that which I re-gained isn’t muscle. I’d guestimate that I put about 5-10 pounds of muscle on while the balance is body-fat as I’ve splurged on some cheat days lately. Shit, I’m drinking a beer as I type this…so there you have it.

Came across your blog when I searched for ways to make it through a juice fast. I’ve juiced pretty regularly since November but never attempted a full on juice fast. This is my 1st time (cross your fingers!) I’m just halfway through day 2 and I’m still feeling ok I guess.

You’re article was helpful and funny lol. It’s strange, the things you said you hated I like! I love to juice Kale and Collards lol. I guess I add so much fruit to it…maybe 50-50 ratio that I kinda just like it. Or maybe I’ve gotten used to it.

Adding the fruits to the Kale and Collards, etc. make them more tolerable but less healthy due to the sugar content. Don’t get me wrong however you mix it, it’s better than not juicing at all. But remember that sugars convert to fat, so it’s best to limit them as much as possible.

wow….good for you!! I’ve tried doing several juice fasts and never seem to be able to make it past day five myself either…..it’s easy to understand why people say you can have a ‘carbs addiction’……I’m getting ready to start another juice fast here in the next few days and have a couple coworkers joining me……def. helps having support!!

Love the article! I tried a juice fat back in April for 25 days. I had never juiced before and you are right those kale, beet, broccoli ,taste like dirt and are disgusting. I ended up throwing away almost everything I juiced. The only thing I could drink was carrot juice. I’m am going to try this again. I’m hlad I have your crack juice recipe! Like you I can only do fruit based stuff or ill gag. Also the previous time I ended up hating the veggies juices so much I lost only 8 lbs in 25 days because I was starving, juicing once a day or not at all. Thanks for the tips!

Well I finally started my juice fast. I remember mentioning that I did the Master cleanse for 35 days. That’s right didn’t eat for 35 damn days! Anywho I have no clue why I am so terrified to do the jucie cleanse. I am so scared to day dreamn about food, or be upset at those that eat around me, or have that feeling that it feels as though your stomach is eating its self. Please wish me luck. So far so good. I will be back in 10 days lol

Stumbled on your website while looking for new recipes. I am trying to keep my 10 day juice fast interesting! I’m on day 3 (woot woot)! Just wanted to say I found your writing very funny and I’ll definitely try your “crack juice” soon! Thanks for sharing!!!

I’ve completed 10 days, and plan to keep going until my BMI is less that 25. (Still quite a way to go). I just wanted to say that I still feel that I wouldn’t mind killing a cow myself and eating it raw. I hate Burger King, yet I think it might be the first place I go once I’ve finished this. I won’t give up – cos I hate how fat I got, but what I mean to say is that you were lucky the meat cravings went … mine are getting worse. (:

Good job on the completion of 10 days. But be careful of binging on bad foods once you’re done, as that weight will surely come back. And be sure to include an exercise routine also when switching back to solid foods.

Your article is hilarious and mostly because I relate to it all. Did my first Juice fast about two months ago and am on day 8 of my second now. All the things you said ring true and found it very amusing!

Hey Justin,
I am doing a 5 day juice fast and noticed that at day 5 — your BMI was at it’s highest — should I worry about this? Do you know why this was the case? I would love to avoid that obviously 🙂
Thanks!
Jesse

Hi Jesse, my BMI was actually highest on Day 1 and not Day 5. Body Mass Index is simply a calculation that divides your mass by your height (squared). Thus, the less I weighed, the less my BMI was.

I believe you were looking at the graph which displayed my body fat percentage. That was indeed at its highest by day 5.

However, I say all of that to answer your question and say. “Don’t worry about any of this”. It really doesn’t matter. Just do your fast and you’ll feel better. And then hopefully, you’ll incorporate juicing into a daily/weekly habit and sustain a healthier diet because of it.

LMFAO. Needed that. Oh and the PRICE of organic… Gotta love it even if the juice comes out with way too much ginger…like licking the ground!!

Thanks for saying what most are afraid to. I am doing a 5-10 day fast now… day 2. Same Breville. Trying to get healthy and back to being an endurance athlete.
Will also incorporate juicing on a daily basis without running for the potato chips. I miss crunching.

Juice fast/water fast is the easiest way to get beautiful clear skin. By easy, I mean if someone can suffer the 7-10 days, they do not need to go buy expensive products and deal with all the chemicals they put in there. This is a 100% all natural method to get clear skin and as long as the person maintains a healthy diet afterwards, the clear skin stays.

I was just randomly googling “difference between 7 day and 10 day juice fast” as I am currently trying my first juice fast and doing a 10 day juice fast but thinking about switching to 7 days.

I am on day 3 and I am losing my mind but damn did your article make it alot easier and cracked me up so hard. parts like

” Welp, my juice batch ended up tasting just like you would imagine. Very strongly of orange peel.

Still drank it though.”

“Despite all of this, I never viewed McDonalds in such a delicious perspective. I don’t really even like McDonalds and I was craving some after this film. I was ready to lick the screen.”

“Basically, the recipe is to match the kale with more spice and citrus and then it won’t taste so much like a lawn mower bag.”

While other parts literally echoed how I felt like this part…

“It was still depressing however to know that this was only day 2. There’s something about only drinking juice that is severely dissapointing. ”

Basically, thank you so much for this article as it has literally helped me cope.
1. Cause it’s from a Guy, and someone who seems to be a Guy’s guy.
(most juice fasting blogs I found seem to be written by women? no offense to the women, but I just can’t relate as easily.)

2. because your writing style is very….realistic? hard to describe, but seriously….this article/blog/whatever is the SHIT!

This was cracking me up the whole way through! I have been searching the internet for articles and blogs to keep me going (on day 3 right now) and your article really helped. I’ve been on a strict “3 green juices/day” among the other 2 oranges and a red and I think I’ll follow your lead with drinking what tastes good. Thank you for the inspiration!

Hi Justin,
I must say, what a hilarious writer you are. I loved reading this post. You should definitely consider getting into writing a book about your experiences.

I just bought a nutribullet, (only thing I could afford at the moment) and I’m concerned it wont work for a juice fast since all the fiber is part of the juice. I really want to cleanse my body, especially my liver. Do you think I can still fast?

Hi Mandy. I appreciate the compliment. I do have a book in the plans actually. But regarding your nutribullet, you can still get your fast done with that. I wouldn’t worry about the fact that you’re getting pulp (fiber) included with your outcome. Let me know how it goes.

I turned my whole life around some years ago (post-2nd baby) by going on a modified Adkins lifestyle change + power-walking with ankle & hand weights + Totalgym. I was doing your “paleo” plan, basically.

Fast-forward 8 yrs>I’m now 53. Menopause bulge would be the least of my issues. In 2011, I was in a bad crash & was left basically unable to walk as I had- a very awful outcome (but not as bad as dying!). In addition, my left shoulder & left knee were impacted. To say I’ve put on weight- well, & become unfit- is an understatement. The only thing left that I can see is biking.

So, I’m in a bit of a quandary now: should I go low-carb or juice-fast & then low-carb? Prior time, I could do major-walking (5lb ankle & 3lb hand weights @ 6km). This was on a lot of steep slopes, too.

I want to: lose weight, get healthy, improve skin.

Btw, you should use senna tea at bedtime for the “blockage”. Moves bowels overnight.

Any ideas or advice?

Also, I’ve had (in the past) some diverticulitis issues- though nothing chronic or recent).

Hi Tracy. I’m sad to hear about your crash. After reading what you want to accomplish, I’d suggest the following:

– If you have limited mobility in your left shoulder and knee, I’d start there. Seek out a rehabilitation facility/chiropractor, if you haven’t already. Even though this happened in 2011, if there are lingering issues that’s the first focus.
– Perhaps you can pair that rehab with some low impact cardio. I’m thinking water aerobics. Though a stationary bike wouldn’t be bad either.
– A juice fast would be good. But better than that would be to incorporate regular juicing into your lifestyle indefinitely. Same with a low-carb diet. Think long-haul versus, “I want to look good in that dress come July”.

All of the aforementioned suggestions are to be taken with a “grain of salt” as I am not a licensed medical practitioner. I suggest that you find one. However, reading articles like mine and asking questions is a great way to start your journey. Congrats.

recently tried to start a 21 day juice fast and previously tried to start it about a month ago, but found I had maaaad cravings for chips and actually ended up eating them 🙁
I haven’t been able to get past day 3 before eating again.

I was living in Ethiopia for three years so everything I ate from pizza to fried chicken and fries was purely organic. Since coming back to the UK, everything i eat makes me feel quite ill or sleepy, especially packaged foods/ fast foods. And I gained a tonne 🙁

Now I know why i was having those cravings I’m going to go through this with a better mindset.
Thanks for the inspiration!
🙂

Glad to help Ash. Besides juicing, I’d suggest abstaining indefinitely from processed foods. Also, try to limit pizza’s and fried chicken meals to once/twice per week max. Go only for the meats, fruits, vegetables. Otherwise known as Paleo. Try that out and I guarantee you’ll feel better. Additionally some weight will drop.

Hi Justin, just read your story. My problem is that I don’t have a juicer,can i make do with the blender? Will i see the same positive results? This morning I blended beetroot, apple, celery, and carrot. For my lunch spinach, broccoli, apple, and cucumber with a slice of lemon.

If you’re using a blender versus a juicer, you’re going to have included fiber where juicing excludes such. When you juice you are removing the insoluble fiber which is contained in the pulp. Fiber is good for you. It keeps your digestive tract healthy and it slows down the absorption of sugar. But it also slows down the absorption of nutrients and some nutrients stay in the fiber. Depending on what you wish to accomplish with juicing/blending, either may work out for you well.

Hi Justin,
Thank You for sharing Your fasting diary with us! It’s just what I’ve been looking for. Been googling for weeks. Started my juice fast, three days ago and I’m concerned because I’m actually feeling great already and I’m not feeling any severe side effects. Not losing weight though either. What could I be doing wrong?

Great article. Very informative and I tend to value articles from people like you rather than reviews I see on different sites.

My questions to you are: (and I apologize if I missed them in the article)

How many “meals” we’re you drinking daily?
Would you drink the same thing for each of those or did you have to juice multiple times a day?
Where did you get your recipes from?

I’m in a weight loss competition at work and am currently down 18 pounds (3 of us are in a dead heat for the top spot).. We have a little over 3 weeks to go and I’d like to bring it home with a 10-day juice cleanse. Wish me luck!

I was drinking every time I got hungry. So a lot. I’d say I was drinking a glass of juice every two hours or so. I was mixing up the juice recipies and I was making up my own recipes. Good luck with your competition. A juice reboot is not a bad choice.

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